The planned Independence Day tri-city UP F-16 flyover for Marquette is a new addition to the holiday.

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – Three Upper Michigan communities will be greeted with military parades this July 4th.

Two F-16s are scheduled to fly over Bessemer, Wakefield and Marquette.

For Marquette, it’s a new addition to the celebration, which is also a celebration of the city’s 175th birthday.

In just two days, Marquette’s Washington Street will be filled with thousands of people of all ages. Two F-16 fighter jets from the 148th Fighter Wing will fly over the city at 12:14 p.m.

“What you can expect is two planes in close formation, and we’re doing it basically to support and give a little bit of redemption to our patriotic supporters, and the Upper Peninsula is a big supporter,” U.S. Air Force Lt. Col.-Col. United from the 148th Fighter Wing Scott. Prom said. “We have airspace that we train there and the people are very supportive and a percentage of our members are from the upper peninsula.”

Prom said that while admiring the jet show in the sky it is important to understand the meaning of what a passage is. He said they are normally for funerals to honor the fallen, but Thursday is a holiday.

“It’s redemption, it’s something where we hope to make the hairs on the back of people’s necks stand up and go ‘wow,'” Prom said. “It’s a thousand feet, so it’s not as low as we always go, it’s a nice, comfortable altitude.”

Prom said before Marquette, the planes will fly over Bessemer at 10:52 a.m. Central Time and Wakefield at 10:53 Central Time Thursday.

In Marquette, the crossing will take place one hour and 45 minutes before the parade.

“We have three bands, we have the NMU pep band, the Marquette Highs marching band with their dance team and those special Scottish bagpipers,” said Robert Anderson, Marquette Fourth of July director and member of the Kiwanis Club of Marquette. “You know why we have this parade, why the Fourth of July is so important? It is the only day that unites us because what unites us is more important than what divides us.”

Anderson said Nicolet Bank will also have a special 40-car parking lot that will deliver people with reduced mobility. The Marquette parade kicks off Thursday at 2 p.m.

Copyright 2024 WLUC. All rights reserved.